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Night of the Mothman, Part II by Mae Clair

Yesterday on my blog, I shared the November 15, 1966 sighting of the Mothman by Richard and Linda Scarberry, along with friends Steve and Mary Malette—certainly the most famous. But the creature made another appearance that same night.

Ninety miles away from Point Pleasant, in Salem, West Virginia, Newell Partridge was home watching television. Partridge worked as a building contractor and was no doubt winding down from a long day. His dog, Bandit, a German shepherd, was outside on the front porch. At approximately 10:30 Partridge’s TV abruptly went dark. A strange pattern filled the screen and a loud whining noise erupted outside. Partridge said the sound reminded him of a generator winding up. Whatever the cause, it launched Bandit into a frenzied state of howling.

Alarmed, Partridge hunted up a flashlight and hurried to investigate. He spied two red eyes that looked like “bicycle reflectors” near his hay barn, situated about 150 yards away. He was positive the glowing eyes did not belong to an animal. Barking, Bandit shot off across the yard to challenge the creature. Partridge ducked into the house and grabbed a gun, but terror overwhelmed him.

He would later tell reporters the creature had frightened him so badly he couldn’t bring himself to go back outside. He slept with the gun by his bed throughout the night. When morning rolled around, he discovered Bandit missing. Tracks in the mud near the barn indicated his dog had spun about in a mindless circle, as if chasing his tail.

Two days later Partridge was reading the local paper when he stumbled over an article detailing what the Scarberrys and Malettes had witnessed the same night Bandit disappeared. Roger Scarberry reported seeing the body of a large dog on the side of the road during the frantic drive into Point Pleasant. When he and the others left, returning by the same route only minutes later, the body was gone.

Sadly for Partridge, Bandit was never seen again.

There are no dogs in A THOUSAND YESTERYEARS, which releases today, but you will find plenty of references to the mysterious Mothman and the terror that gripped Point Pleasant in ’66 and ’67.

Grab a copy and see for yourself what NY Times bestselling author, Kevin O’Brien calls “bone-chilling fiction.” Then be sure to come back tomorrow for details on another spooky Mothman sighting!

Poor doggie. He was protecting his family. The remarkable double sighting makes me believe there is something to the mothman story for sure– mysterious goings on that defy our rational beliefs. Congratulations on your release! It’s wonderful, Mae!

Thanks so much, Flossie. I completely agree with you about Bandit, just trying to protect his owner from harm. There were countless other sightings of the Mothman as well. Something “odd” was definitely happening in Point Pleasant!

Thanks so much, Joan! I hope you enjoy the story (I really loved researching and writing this one). I’d love to hear what you think of it and would be delighted if you considered leaving a review on Amazon! 🙂